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Is Prucha the best banjo in the world?
It would be according to who you asked and what type of banjo you prefer. Prucha is a good banjo, that's all I'll say. Of course, my pick for best would be Stelling, but that's just me.
To some people, probably so, and to most others, probably not. We do not all like the same sound or feel.
There are so many good banjos out there that there is no objective answer to that question.
However, if one of the parameters for banjo performance is age and playing time then the answer might be one of the iconic prewar flathead banjos (e.g. 9584-2, 9584-3).
But again it's mostly just opinion.
No.
Is blue the best color for a shirt?
I read a story about a half century ago. Segovia went into a shop in Chicago to play a great guitar. Everyone thought it was the best guitar. Segovia played it and made it sound incredible. After he got done someone asked him it was the perfect guitar. He said no, there is no perfect guitar.
If you have a banjo you like, it can be the perfect banjo for you. I have a couple of banjos and not one is perfect but all are great for me.
The best banjo in the world is whichever one Noam Pikelny is holding.
Edited by - KCJones on 11/28/2024 06:57:01
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Originally posted by Brian MurphyIs blue the best color for a shirt?
Well, at least then Chuck wouldn't get confused as to whether it's pink or red!! 
If you mean "newly made by an ongoing concern", perhaps. I would put Huber right up there with Prucha, personally.
If all my Gibsons were confiscated and I had to buy a new banjo from an ongoing concern, I'd buy a Huber.
A few years ago I might have placed the American Made Banjo Kel Kroyden right up there too.
The Boulder Omes were certainly in the running. Jury’s still out on the Florida ones.
The best banjo is the one you play.
So many great banjos being built today
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Originally posted by techmanIs Prucha the best banjo in the world?
Prucha is a great banjo maker. I have a friend who owns one. Like Sherry I own a Stelling and it is a superior banjo. Alas Geoff Stelling has retired and to the best of my knowledge Stelling banjos are out of production. I also own a Gold Tone OB3 "Twanger" and I gotta say it's pretty remarkable and a fraction of the cost of my Stelling.
You just missed the Banjo Ben Black Friday sale. But if your quick he might help you out with a special deal if your in the market for a new instrument. ben@banjobenclark.com
I agree with Sherry, get a Stelling!
Rick
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Originally posted by techmanIs Prucha the best banjo in the world?
Every instrument has its own feel, voice, and overall characteristics. Think of all the people you know. No two are alike. Same - Same. Develop good friendships with people you like, and play good music with instruments you like.
Ok, I’ll stir the proverbial pot - are most of the nay comments here colored by the fact that Prucha is made in a “foreign” (non-American) company?
Hatfield banjos are truly impressive. An amazing sounding walnut Sullivan shows up at a jam I sometimes attend. Hubers are great. Deerings sound fantastic in the hands of Jens Kruger, Tony Trischka, Ryan Cavanaugh, Steve Martin, Bennett Sullivan. I heard Danny Barnes live on his great-sounding Bishline signature woody. Yes, Alison Brown gets beautiful sound from her Pruchas. Heard her live close up at a small venue.
There are a lot of wonderful banjos being built today. I don't believe there's a best.
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Originally posted by chuckv97Ok, I’ll stir the proverbial pot - are most of the nay comments here colored by the fact that Prucha is made in a “foreign” (non-American) company?
Naw..... Prucha banjos are hand made and do not fall into the Chinese mass produced catagory. Not to mention Prucha manufactures and provides banjo enthusiasts some of the best banjo parts available.
The best banjo made probably just boils down to what strikes a given person as a good looking nice sounding instrument that just happens to be owned by that same person.
"Imported from Europe" and "Imported from Asia" are two very different things.
I believe the metal parts Prucha produces are also used in a lot of boutique banjo builds including some pretty well-known ones. I played a Prucha once and I'm pretty sure my next banjo will be a Prucha. If in the meantime someone gives me a Stelling, Huber or Hatfield, I might never feel the need to get that Prucha. Right now even my RK-75 is good enough for me even though it has some aspects that put the idea of getting another banjo into my head.
prucha parts are the most sought after in the world because of the top quality,, i have had the chance to play 2 prucha banjos, both were impressive. but it all depends on the sound you are looking for. earls didn't sound like sonnys,,,,sonnys didn't sound like JDs,,,, and 9584-1 didn't sound like any of them.
Similar story... I fly fish and asked one time what I think is the best flyrod. It's the one I built. When I catch fish with it, it gives me more of a feeling of accomplishment.
Now, I play a Frankenstein: Gold Tone Wide Fretboard, eBay Tonering, and a Walnut Block Pot that a gentleman near Richmond Indiana built for me. I'm a little above beginner, but when I play it, it gives me a feeling that a Prucha wont hold a candle to. But that's me...
Isn't the best banjo the next one that you want to buy?
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Originally posted by phbI believe the metal parts Prucha produces are also used in a lot of boutique banjo builds including some pretty well-known ones.
Yes. I'm pretty sure Gibson banjos in the final decade had Prucha hardware, supplied through Sullivan. The flange on Deering's Gibson-style "Golden" series banjos is Prucha.
The "Best" banjo is the one you find that makes you uninterested in looking for another.
I found mine in a '29 tb-2 (9469-44) bought in 1998 and had Jimmy Cox put a 5 string walnut neck on it to match the resonator and cut the rim for his flathead Kentucky 5 ring.
There is nothing about this banjo that doesn't amaze me.
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